


Not Festive

by pennysparrow



Category: Batgirl (Comics), Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Batman and Robin (Comics), Birds of Prey (Comic), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Batfam halloween content war, Gen, Halloween
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-08-09 17:13:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16454039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pennysparrow/pseuds/pennysparrow
Summary: Steph just has one little favor, really it's nothing. Babs isn't going to fall for it.





	Not Festive

Babs frowned. She really wasn't inclined to host anything right now, nevertheless a Halloween party.

"Pleeeeaase," Steph pleaded. She'd clasped her hands under her chin and pushed out her lower lip in an over dramatic pout. Babs could see the beginnings of crocodile tears glistening in her blue eyes from where Steph looked up at her from kneeling on the ground, blocking the path to the bathroom.

"Steph. Move," Barbara raised a brow, the motion causing her glasses to slip down her nose just enough that with a tilt of her head she could look down at Steph over the rim of them. The younger girl seemed unmoved and refused to be moved when Babs rolled forward, bumping her lightly with the footrest of her chair.

"But Baaaa-aaaabs," Steph whined. "Why not?"

With a sigh, Babs leaned back and folded her arms. "Because, I don't want to. Go ask Bruce. Get Dick to help you beg."

Steph flopped back onto her haunches with a huff. "You know, I really didn't want to do this but you give me no choice," Steph said darkly as she rose to her feet.

Stepping to the side, Steph finally let her pass and Babs rolled her eyes at the theatrics as she did. Was she ever that bad? Maybe when she was a teenager, but she's pretty sure that she still wasn't _that_ bad. She was half inclined to ask her dad but that seemed like asking for trouble. The more she thought about it the more she was pretty sure that she got all her dramatics out in the field, Steph had a tendency to just be _more_ dramatic in the field. "I wonder if this is considered an occupational hazard," Babs muttered to herself.

Flipping on the bathroom light, Babs startled and her hand flew up over her heart. Sitting on the counter was a dark figure and instincts kicked in and Babs reached for her escrima sticks. Then her brain kicked in and she recognized the figure in the black sweater and leggings half sitting in her sink.

"Cass!" Babs scolded.

The younger girl just blinked and then widened those already big brown eyes and slowly stuck out her lower lip.

"No. No no no. We are _not_ doing this. I am _not_ hosting a Halloween party. I told Steph and I'll tell you: go bother Bruce. He has that big house, he needs to socialize, Alfred would love if you got him to socialize. Just no for the Clocktower."

Cass's pout disappeared in a flash and instead her mouth pursed and her eyebrows furrowed. "Spooky."

"You really want to argue that this place is spookier than _the_ Batcave? Really?" Babs asked dryly.

Cass rolled her eyes and dropped down from her perch. Yeah, dramatics should definitely be included in the occupational hazard list. Babs couldn't figure out why she hadn't done so before.

"No parties in Cave," Cass hummed. "New rule."

"Since when?"

Cass gave a fluid shrug, spinning around the tile bathroom and past Babs with an easy grace. "Jason."

Babs narrowed her eyes, that really wasn't an answer and they both knew it.

"He had a 'death day' party. Like Harry Potter." Cass shot a wicked grin over her shoulder. "All went. Lots of fake blood."

Babs pinched the bridge of her nose, taking in a deep breath and holding it for a ten count before letting it out. "Are there pictures?"

Cass's smile widened and she pulled her phone out, tapping at it briefly before passing it to Babs. Sure enough the screen showed all of Bruce's kids and Steph crowded together in their best zombie makeup, cheesing for the camera. She had to bite her lip, Babs was an Adult and should not be laughing at such blatant antagonism. But man was it funny. "Ok, yeah, I can see why you're not allowed to have parties in the Cave anymore."

Cass took her phone back with a smirk. A very self-satisfied smirk.

Babs finally let out her laugh and Steph must have heard it because she poked her head in from around the corner. "So? Yes? Party?" she asked excitedly.

"No party. Ask Bruce if you can have it. In the _Manor_."

She would've slammed the door on them but Cass was still hovering in the doorway.

Cass walked over to her and stood so that she could look Babs in the eye as she said "Not. Festive." and emphasized each word with a poke to Babs's shoulder.

"Are you accusing me of not being festive? Because the Manor is plenty festive, Alfred has the place all decked out to look creepy and haunted and scary pretty," Babs feigned innocence.

Cass rolled her eyes and gave Babs the driest of looks. Like the Sahara. If the Sahara was a petite Asian girl who could kill you and do a grand jete at the same time. Babs loved her. She couldn't be more proud.

"Look," Babs said, trying to level with them and get them to leave her alone so she could actually use the bathroom and get back to work. "I not only live in the Clocktower, I work out of the Clocktower. And I not only work out of the Clocktower, I live in it. I don't particularly want or need a whole bunch of people running around, making a mess, and potentially screwing up all my systems. Especially my security system. Even having you two, Dinah, Helena, Charlie, and Dick here all at once can be hectic and you know it."

They both winced, clearly remembering the time that the Birds were having a movie night, they had dropped by after patrol, and Dick decided to surprise her with take-out. It had been a mess within a matter of minutes. Chaos. Plain and simple. She was still finding stains on the ceiling from the take-out.

"So we limit the guests?" Steph suggested. It was a halfhearted attempt though and they all knew it.

"Stephanie."

"Ok, yeah. Fair. You win Babs."

Cass nodded solemnly.

"Can we at least decorate the place?" Steph asked, weirdly hesitant but Babs recognized it as an idea half-formed. A hope Steph didn't even know she had herself.

Babs let out a sigh. "I guess we can."

Steph fist pumped the air as Cass beamed. "I'll get the cobwebs!" she cried out as she ran off.

"Pumpkins!" Cass yelled as she turned to follow Steph.

"Just not on my equipment!" Babs called after them and finally closed the door.


End file.
